Sustainable Bioenergy

If properly managed and environmental and social standards applied, WWF believes that bioenergy can provide diverse alternatives to fossil fuels and contribute to sustainable development.

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Biofuels - Searching for Sustainability
Comparative Analysis of Certification Schemes for Biomass used for the Production of Biofuels
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Transforming markets

WWF supports bioenergy production that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

By improving the way global commodities such as palm oil, soy and sugarcane used for biofuels are produced, we can reduce our global environmental footprint and significantly drive up markets that offer responsible products, goods and services.

To achieve this, WWF is working with governments and the private sector in bioenergy producing and consuming countries to:

Change policies and promote the inclusion of sustainability criteria in bioenergy legislation;

This approach, where existing standards are evaluated against a set of general principles, is being increasingly used by businesses and organizations to judge the performance of systems. Instead of requiring bioenergy producers to get certified directly, they can apply already existing standards that have proven to comply with meta-standard criteria.

EU bioenergy policy

WWF is pushing for the legal implementation of sustainability criteria for bioenergy in the European Union.

The EU has agreed on the Renewable Energy Directive, whose main outcome is a 20% renewable legally-binding target for EU Member States and a 10% renewable energy target when it comes to land transport.

The Directive also calls for criteria for sustainable bioenergy production and consumption, including a list of “no-go" areas where bioenergy can not be produced based on biodiversity and carbon emission criteria.

WWF is working to ensure that the EU will meet its targets and apply these criteria to ensure sustainable bioenergy.